Toy vehicle



May 5, KIS

TOY VEHICLE Filed March 26, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet l May 5, 119%. H, KETER 2,040,005

TOY VEHI CLE Filed March 26, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 5, 1936 TOY VEHICLE Harry Kister, Philadelphia, Pa., assignor of onehalf to William H. Eden, Philadelphia, Pa.

Application March 26, 1935, Serial No. 13,131

6 Claims.

This invention relates to express wagons, skooters, tricycles and similar toy Vehicles adapted for manual propulsion; and particularly to those of the type employing treadmill apparatus for sup- 5 plying the motive power to one or more of the supporting wheels of the device.

The present invention constitutes an improvement over the device shown in the applicants prior Patent No. 1,533,651 dated April 4, 1925 wherein the treadmill consisted of an endless belt arranged in an inclined plane and operatively connected to the rear supporting wheels of the vehicle. In this type of device, due to various conditions and to hard usage by children, the belt gives considerable trouble as a result of stretching, twisting and general deterioration, requiring frequent replacement and at the best failing to give entire satisfactory service,

The present invention relates particularlyjo an improved form of treadmill structure, for a device of the type above noted, which will be of rugged durable construction requiring a minimum of attention and affording a useful life corresponding to that of the vehicle itself.

The construction and operation of the device forming the subject of the present invention will be fully disclosed hereinafter, reference being had to the accompanying drawings; of which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view if. a toy express wagon equipped with a treadmill structure made in accordance with the principles. of the present invention but showing the device adapted for normal use as a conventional coaster or shaft-drawn carrier;

Fig. 2 is a View similar to Fig. 1 but showing the device converted for propulsion by the contained treadmill;

Fig. 3 is a perspective View of a portion of the vehicle body adapted for change of position in accordance with the form in which the device is to be used;

Fig. 4 is a detached perspective View of the treadmill frame;

Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation taken on the line 55, Fig. 2;

-'Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a tricycle or skooter equipped with the improved treadmill;

' Fig. 7 is a sectional elevation taken on the line |l, Fig. 6; and

Fig. 8 is a sectional elevation taken on the line 88, Fig. 7.

In that form of vehicle illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the device comprises a toy express wagon body I consisting of a bottom 2, a front or dashboard 3, side boards 4 and 5 respectively, and a back or tail board 6.

The device is provided with a pair of front supporting wheels I, 1. The wheels I, I are rotat ably mounted on a front axle 8 which is carried by a swivel frame 9. The frame 9 is arranged to turn about a vertical fifth-wheel pivot l0, under guidance of a draw-shaft or steering handle I I, in the usual manner.

The rear end of the vehicle is supported by Wheels l2 and I3 respectively, said wheels being rotatably mounted about the axis of a rear axle I4, said axle being mounted in brackets l5 and I6 which are disposed at opposite sides of the wagon body beneath the floor 2 thereof, said brackets comprising substantially vertical posts I! and I8 having feet l9 and 20 respectively by which one end of each bracket is secured to the wagon body. 7

Extending at an angle inclined to the plane of the floor 2 of the vehicle and integrally connected to the lower ends of the posts I1 and I8 are side bars 2| and 22, the upper ends of which are provided with feet 23 and 24 respectively forsecuring the forward ends of said frame members I5 and I6 to the under side of the body I, at a position forward of the center of the vehicle bo dy.

Disposed between the inclined side bars 2 I and 22 and extending transversely of the treadmill frame is a series of parallel laterally spaced driv ing rollers 25, 25, each of which is provided with oppositely axially extending trunnions 26 which are rotatably mounted in suitable bearings carried by or formed in the frame members 2| and 22 respectively, said rollers being in such closely adjacent relation to each other that the foot of a user of the vehicle, under the weight of the person, will pass freely from one to the other of the rollers, down the inclined plane aiforded by the rollers, thereby applying rotary motion to each of the rollers as the foot passes across the rollers successively.

At one side of the vehicle, for example at the side adjacent the inclined frame member 2 I, each roller or its trunnion is provided with a gear 21 which is fixed to the trunnion or to the roller. Rotatably mounted on the frame member 2!, intermediate each adjacently disposed pair of roller gears 21 is an intermediate gear 28 which intermeshes with the gears 21, 21 of the adjacently disposed pair of rollers 25. r

In the present instance, the gear 21 associated with the lowermost of the rollers 25 intermeshes with a gear 29 which, in this instance, is secured to the rear axle M. In this instance, the rear wheel |2 is also secured to the axle |4 while the wheel I 3 is free to rotate on and relative to said axle. I

The floor 2 of the wagon body I is provided with an elongated rectangular opening 30 which extends from the extreme rear edge of the floor 2 forwardly beyond the center of the wagon body, with the forward edge of the opening adjacent the forward feet23candi24 ofthe frame members l5 and I6 respectively. V

The rectangular opening 36 is normally'closed by a pair of trap doors 3| and 32 which are hinged together at the median line 33 and with the forward edge of the trap door 3| hinged to thejfioor 2, as illustrated at 34. a

The opening 30 does not extend the full Width of the floor 2 intermediate the" side boards 4 and 5 whereby longitudinally extending steps or shelves 35 and 36. are provided at opposite sides respectively of the opening 30;

' The .trap doors 3| and .32 mormally ,rest on 7 side supports 35a which extend beyond theinner edgesof thexsteps 3.5 and 36.-respective1y and supportithe trap doors *withithe upper sides thereof flush with the top of the steps 35-and '36,

'The'back or tail boardi 6 is slidably mounted in .vertical grooves 31, 31'formed in the side boards 4 ?and-5:respectively. V

In order to convert the vehicle from the coaster or carrierform-illustrated-iniFig. 1 to the treadmill actuatedform illustrated in Fig. 2, the back-board 6 is removed and the'trap doors 3| and 32 are folded .zupwardly oneagainst the otherabout the axis of :the hinge 33 and'then forwardly about the axis of athehinge 34', until the trap doors come to rest upon the forward portion of the floor .2 immediately behind :the front board v3, leaving the opening in said floor clear and open for free operation of the treadmill-rollers 25. iMountedon the side boards'4 and 5 substantially-at the forward .edge of the opening 3|) is an inverted =U-lshaped element 40, the side legs 4|.,4| of which'arepivoted at 42, 42 to said side boards 4;and'5.respectively. Thelegs or side members.-4|,'4| normallylie fiatlyon the shelves and .36 of the wagon floor and the cross bar 43 normallylies infrontof theback board6, on top of the:rear edge of the trapdoor32.

Whenthe vehicle .is convertedinto the form shown in Fig. :2, the inverted U-shaped element 461s swung about its pivots 42, 42 :to a vertical position; with the forwardedges of the uprights 4 4| against vertical blocks, 44 which are secured .to-the Sideboards 4 and 5 respectively. r V Adjacent and parallel to the blocks 44, -44 the side :boards 4 and '5 are provided with vertical grooves45, -45 which are arrangedto .receive the opposite ends of the back board .6, behind the rear .edges of the uprights 4|, 4|, whereby the U-shaped member 40 is maintained in the upright position illustrated in Fig.2.

'When .the vehicle is converted to the form shown =in.Fig. 2, a youngster gripping thecross bar 43 with-onehandand the handle 46 of the shaft H with the other hand, andjby walking up the inclined plane-afforded by the closely positionedrollers 25, @25 said rollers will be rotated in-;a counterclockwise :direction as viewed in Fig. 2,1and'thisrotation will be transmitted through the train of gears 21, 28 and'29 to the rear axle ;I4 :01 theivehicle. and thenoe'to'the rear supportinggand traction wheel 1 2 which is'secured to said axle, thereby effecting forward motion of the vehicle. V

When the vehicle attains the speed desired by the youngster, the youngster. may coast under momentum by stepping up on to the steps 35 and 36, whereupon the rollers 25 will revolve freely under the attained momentum of the vehicle.

7 If the youngster desires to slow up the vehicle, one of the steps 35 or 36 is provided with a brake pedal 41 which may be either pivoted to or slidablymounted in the body of the vehicle and operatively connected to a brake shoe 48 which the youngster may apply to the driving wheel |2 by stepping on the pedal 41.

' Due to the rugged construction of the treadmill,

'ias'z'above described, little or no attention is'required other than occasional lubrication .of the belt in the old type of device is encountered.

In'thatform of the device shown in Fig. 6, the treadmill frame members 2| and 422- converge'at their upper forward ends, beyond a transversely extending spreader 102, asrindicated at 23and I24 :forthe support of a centrally located bearing H0 in whichisrotatably mounted a'steerin'g post The post H is provided at its upper end with handle bars I46 andatitslower end with a forked bearing -|09 in which is rotatably mountedza guiding or steering wheel I01.

The Irear ends of theside bars |2| and -|:22 are mountedon the rear v axle M and beyond said axle bendinwardly as indicated at -|-|8,for supporting a rear coasting step I35.

Therear axle 1| I4 is carried by therear wheels |,|2, --I I3, one or the other of which may -be secured to said axle while the second may revolve freely thereon. r r a r The treadmill rollers 25, .25 are rotatably mountedin .the sidebar-frame members I and I22 and geared .together and to the rear axle by thechain of:gears. 2'|, 28, 29 as noted above If desired, in both forms of the vehicle, the traction wheel 12 .or 112, as the case may be, may be connectible with the rear-axle by and through aone-directionor overrunning clutch illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8, whereinthe hub-of the wheel is made in two concentric parts, '50 and 5|. The inner part 50 is secured to the rear axle while the outer part is rotatably mounted on the innerpart through .laterally spacedlball bearings .52 .and.53.

Intermediate the ball bearings ,52 and 53, the inner ,part 5ll.is provided with one-or more .peripheral recesses 54 ineach of which is .freely mounted a grip rol1er55.

When the. innerpart 50 .is rotated in the direction of thearrow Fig. 8 'therollers, or balls, 55 become "jammed in' the angles formed by the inner circular surface 56 of the outer part 5| and the flat surfaces 51 of the recesses 54 in the inner part 50, whereby the two parts are rigidly locked together and drive the traction wheel 1 I2.

Thus, if the wheel 2 tends to run faster than the rollers 25- as the'vehic'le attains momentum the traction wheel 2 is automatically disconnected from the drive shaft H4 and operator may then coast with one foot on the rear step I35 and the other braced against the then non-rotat- I pended upon the inert weight of the operator tending to slide down the inclined plane afforded by the upper surfaces of the rollers to start the rollers revolving and for this reason the top roller in each instance may be referred to as a starting or impact roller.

Obviously, upon reading the above and viewing the annexed drawings, the detailed structure will be seen to be subject to numerous changes and modifications without deviating from the primary principles of the invention, in view of which only such limitations should be placed upon the appended claims as may be necessitated by the state of the prior art.

I claim:

1. A toy vehicle comprising a plurality of supporting wheels, a series of driving rollers arranged in a common inclined plane in close laterally parallel relation and operatively connected together and to one of said supporting wheels, and an independently rotatable impact roller at the upper end of the inclined series.

2. A toy vehicle comprising a plurality of supporting wheels, a series of driving rollers operatively connected together and to one of said supporting wheels, and including an overrunning clutch between the roller series and the supporting wheel driven thereby.

3. A toy vehicle comprising a plurality of supporting wheels, a series of driving rollers, a gear on each roller, an intermediate gear between and intermeshing with the gears of each adiacently disposed pair of rollers, and means operatively connecting the gear train to one of said supporting wheels.

4. A toy vehicle comprising a plurality of supporting wheels, a series of driving rollers, a gear on each roller, an intermediate gear between and intermeshing with the gears of each adjacently disposed pair of rollers, an axle for at least one of said supporting wheels, a gear on said axle intermeshing with the train of gears operatively connecting said rollers, and means for operatively connecting said axle to said supporting wheel thereon.

5. A toy vehicle comprising a plurality of supporting wheels, a series of .driving rollers, a gear on each roller, an intermediate gear between and intermeshing with the gears of each adjacently disposed pair of rollers, an axle for at least one of said supporting wheels, a gear on said axle intermeshing with the train of gears operatively connecting said rollers, said supporting wheel comprising an inner hub portion secured to said axle, an outer hub portion rotatable about said inner portion, and means for locking said inner and outer parts together by rotation of said inner part under power applied by rotation of said rollers in one direction.

6. A toy vehicle comprising a pair of laterally spaced side bars, a series of rollers having trunnions mounted for rotation in bearings carried by said side bars respectively, an axle rotatably mounted in said side bars, supporting wheels on and with one secured to said axle, and a train of gears operatively connecting said rollers and said axle.

HARRY KIS'I'ER. 

